“I took hold of that scourge -filled ship and crushed it between my limbs, hurtling it into the second sun, the red one that gave me strength. But I was too late." Terraformer
Why YA is Just so Darn Better Than Everything Else
By Colleen Houck
I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “But there are so many good adult and kid books out there,” and if you know me really well, you’re thinking, “But you often list adult books as your favorites.” Both of these thoughts are true. I love books of all kinds. Books about aliens. Books about dystopian societies. Books with animals as characters. Books with paranormal creatures. Books with romance. So, you see, I am somewhat of a book fanatic, but I think YA books are special. Even specialer than all the other good books out there and I’ll tell you why.
#1-YA BOOKS HAVE NO BOUNDARIES
YA books have no boundaries. Well, of course they have boundaries as far as keeping it kid friendly, but there aren’t any limits to the ideas an author might have. YA is the one category that doesn’t box an author in. If I want to write science fiction, I can write it. If I want to write about knights in shining armor, I can write it. If I want to write about angels and demons, that’s good too. Which brings me to another point.
#2-YA FANS ARE OPEN-MINDED
The fans of YA will typically follow an author on whatever journey they want to take. Teens and fans of YA are the types of readers that have open minds and soft hearts. If I want to mix world mythologies, they are fine with that. If I want my horses to talk? Why not? If I want to write about a dystopian world where cupcakes rule? Even better.
This rare quality doesn’t appear to cross over to other genres. Hard core romance fans will rarely follow an author into fantasy or science fiction. Sci-Fi fanatics probably aren’t willing to venture over into mystery. This is one reason I think YA is special.
#3-IT TAKES A SPECIAL KIND OF
AUTHOR TO WRITE FOR TEENS
Then there’s the fact that I’ve actually worked in schools. In fact, several YA authors I’ve met have either been teachers at one time or were studying to become one in college when they began writing. I have always believed that it takes a special kind of person to work with kids of any age but especially those in middle and high school. Those formative years have lasting impact on character and I remember several of my teachers fondly.
My love of reading and passion for writing was nurtured and encouraged by a few exceptional souls and I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be the person I am today without them. The YA authors I’ve met and collaborated with are just as extraordinary. They have a singular understanding of what it means to be a young adult. The problems they identify and the situations they describe go above and beyond finding love, solving a mystery, or running from aliens.
This leads me to the fourth reason why YA books are better than everything else. So just to recap, the first reason was the very large canvas we YA writers have on which to stretch the limits of our imaginations. Second, our fans are just freaking awesome. Third, YA writers are interesting, empathetic, and have a unique perspective on young people, and now the fourth reason.
#4-YA CHARACTERS ARE UNIQUE
YA characters haven’t even settled into who they are going to be as adults. The whole world is open to them and anything could happen. Yes, they could be destined to solve world hunger, or lead an army against a terrible enemy, or have to overcome a debilitating disease, but at the core of the story, and the thing all YA books have in common, is that our heroes and heroines are seeking their identity—that spark of uniqueness that will set them apart from everyone else. And sometimes not even the author knows how the circumstances of the story will impact that character and influence who they will become.
This feature is what makes YA books utterly different from everything else. Don’t get me wrong. I love books of all types—characters of all types—but there is a spark found in YA books that makes me love them above all else. They fill my shelves. They inspire my dreams. And they stay in my heart long after I’ve closed the last page.
This entry was posted in Articles, Bonus Material.
New York Times Bestselling author Colleen Houck is a lifelong reader whose literary interests include action, adventure, paranormal, science fiction, and romance. When she's not busy writing, she likes to spend time chatting on the phone with one of her six siblings, watching plays, and shopping online. Colleen has lived in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, California, and North Carolina and is now permanently settled in Salem, Oregon with her husband and a huge assortment of plush tigers.
Book Trailer
Mr. Kadam voice-over
Note: all the characters should be either in profile, darkened, shadowed, or viewed from behind
(Haunting music, Picture of a young Indian man wearing robes from centuries ago. Profile, dignified, walking on sand or desert. Same man in different places, ie jungle, modern city wearing a business suit again in profile, music changes from old to modern style of India)
“We had sought her for centuries.”
“There were times I believed it was my fate to fail. The answers…eluded me.”
(Man kneeling before a deathbed or at the foot of a throne)
“But I could not abandon my duty.”
“In the end…we did not find her. She found us.”
(Picture of a girl pressing her hands through the bars of a cage. White tiger inside if possible. Girl in profile or from behind, dark hair, sweet melody)
“How providential that it should work that way.”
“I had my doubts when I first saw her.”
(Girl with braids, dark hair sitting on a bale of hay, age 18, zoom in slowly)
“She seemed so…fragile. So young. So alone.”
“But we needed her.”
(Girl’s hand raised, palm out like “stop” signal. It glows red from inside. Flash of white light from center of palm radiates out toward the camera until whole screen turns white, sound effects of lightning, thunder, crackling energy builds then crescendos)
“So we took her anyway.”
(Private jet, lavish, interior in black, chrome, metallic, empty leather seats, airplane sounds take off, rumble of jets)
“Not knowing what she would come to mean to us.”
(Three men, father figure in the middle lean but older, and two grown sons, all dark haired, walking from behind, good builds, or in shadow, backs to the camera)
“What she would mean…to him.”
(Blue eyes of handsome man with face in shadow only eyes clear, fades to white)
(Fast jungle type music, safari or chase style starts off slow then builds faster and faster to a crescendo. Images flash building speed, faster and faster. Images of ruins, Durga, Fanindra, Jeep, circus, ring leader, beautiful home, scarves, monkeys, people of India, etc. Images go faster and faster perhaps repeating until the final image of the white tiger stays which fades to show just the eyes and then the entire screen goes white.
Tiger’s Curse Book Trailer (Self Published)
mirrored ray ban aviators
hogan nuove
ray ban original aviator
ray ban black
borsa birkin hermes prezzo
This entry was posted in Bonus Material, Tiger's Curse.
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
New York Times Bestselling author Colleen Houck is a lifelong reader whose literary interests include action, adventure, paranormal, science fiction, and romance. When she's not busy writing, she likes to spend time chatting on the phone with one of her six siblings, watching plays, and shopping online. Colleen has lived in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, California, and North Carolina and is now permanently settled in Salem, Oregon with her husband and a huge assortment of plush tigers.